Keep Holding On
by Lupinfangirl
Summary: AU about Remus and Tonks returning home after the final battle. No real plot, just a nice fluffy moment. :-


**A/N**: I was really pissed about JKR killing off Remus and Tonks in DH, so I wrote a short ficlet about them returning home after the final battle. It's really sweet and fluffy and will probably give you a toothache. lol Review and tell me if it's good or too corny for words. :-p

Remus Lupin and his wife, Nymphadora Tonks, made their way up to Tonks' mother's house as the gray sky was lightening with the dawn. They were immensely relieved at Harry's defeat of Voldemort and making it through the final battle safe and sound. Tonks had a bruise on her cheek and lots of cuts and scrapes all over her arms, and Remus had a bandage around his right arm, that covered a nasty gash he had gotten. However, those were all minor injuries; at least they were alive and conscious.

Tonks unlocked the front door, and they hurried inside, eager to assure Andromeda that they were all right, as well as to see their beloved son.

"Mum?" Tonks called. "Mum, we're here."

Andromeda immediately woke up from her doze on the living room couch, where she had sat up waiting for her daughter and son-in-law. Her face broke into a huge smile and she ran forward to hug them.

"Dora, Remus!" she exclaimed, her voice choked with emotion. "My dears…you're all right!" She held Tonks' face in her hands, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Oh sweetheart, I was so scared! I was cursing myself for not doing everything in my power to stop you from joining Remus. Imagine if you had—"she broke off, sobbing, and pulled Tonks into another hug.

"It's all right, Mum, we're perfectly fine," Tonks assured her. "Harry defeated Voldemort! We'll all be safe now."

"Oh, thank Merlin!" Andromeda cried. "But…how? And how's everyone else? Did we have any losses?"

"Fred Weasley was killed," Remus said heavily. "And so was Snape. Oh, and Molly killed your sister, Bellatrix, when she tried to murder Ginny."

Andromeda's face was a mixture of shock and relief. "Oh my," she finally said. "Well, I'm sure I'll hear the full story soon enough. You two should get some rest now, you must be exhausted."

"Exhausted doesn't even begin to cover it," Tonks said. "But first, we just want to see Teddy. Where is he?"

"He's sleeping in your room," Andromeda replied. "He's had a restless night, poor thing, as though he sensed that his parents were in danger. Go on now." And, hugging Remus and Tonks one more time, Andromeda made her way to the kitchen.

Remus and Tonks rushed upstairs and laughed aloud with relief as they saw Teddy sleeping peacefully in his crib. He was lying on his back, smiling slightly, and his hair was bright pink, just like Tonks' normally was. As Tonks gazed lovingly at her child, it suddenly hit her how close she and Remus had come to dying…how much they'd risked never seeing each other or their son again. A wave of dizziness swept over her, and she turned chalky pale and collapsed into her husband's arms.

"Dora!" Remus cried in alarm, carrying her over to the bed. "What is it, love? What's wrong?"

Tonks was trembling, as she merely shook her head and hugged Remus tightly. "Hang on one second," said Remus, letting go of her and pouring her a glass of water into a table on the nightstand. Tonks took a few sips, feeling her body relax a bit, and took a couple of deep breaths.

"Dora, tell me what's wrong," Remus said gently, taking her face in his hands and raising it, so that she met his eyes.

"I just…I don't know what came over me." Tonks' voice shook, and tears spilled down her cheeks. "I was s-so scared last night. I thought I'd lose you forever, and I guess b-b-being here with you, and—and Teddy, and Mum…it's all just been t-too much for me." She rested her head on Remus' shoulder, and Remus held her tightly, as she sobbed.

"I know, love," he said softly. "It's been such a terrible night—for all of us. And I also kept seeing you and Teddy, thinking that I may never see you again. But everything will be fine now, I promise. Voldemort's dead; we have nothing to be afraid of."

Tonks sniffled and blew her nose into a tissue that Remus handed her. "Remus, please. Promise you'll never leave me. I-I'll never be able to live without you."

Remus leaned in and kissed his wife lightly on the lips. "I'll always be with you, dear. I'm your Patronus, remember? Your protector."

"I love you, Remus," Tonks said, running a hand over his shoulder-length hair.

"And I love you," Remus replied. "Now," he said, giving her a kiss on the forehead, "I think we should get some rest. We've been through a lot."

"Yeah, I'm bloody exhausted," Tonks said with a yawn. They lay down, without even changing their clothes, and it felt simply amazing to just rest, after all the excitement. As Tonks fell asleep in Remus' arms, she was deeply thankful for getting to be with her husband and son, if only for a little while longer. The war was over, but still, nobody knew what the next day would bring. Tonks supposed that she should savor every moment of this one.


End file.
